In a surprising day at the DTM qualifying at Lausitzring, Nicki Thiim secured pole position with Aston Martin, setting a new record of 1:19.463. This mark surpasses last year’s record by 0.364 seconds and highlights the strength of the Danish driver in extreme heat conditions.
Thiim outpaced Arjun Maini from HRT, who finished second with his Ford Mustang, just 0.062 seconds behind. With temperatures reaching 28 degrees by 9 in the morning, Thiim expressed his satisfaction: “It’s not our weather, but we celebrate it with a big smile.” This is his second pole in his short career in the DTM after achieving his first victory in 2024 at Norisring.
On the other hand, Maini showed confidence in the Mustang, although the vehicle may face tire wear issues as the race progresses. “I’m used to this weather and I like the heat,” he said, highlighting good performance during previous tests.
The DTM record holder, Lucas Auer, claimed third place with a difference of +0.160, leading a trio of Mercedes-AMG with Jules Gounon and Maro Engel in fourth and fifth places respectively. Auer admitted that the session had not been easy, but he felt satisfied with his final time.
In contrast, the result was very unfavorable for Porsche and BMW. Thomas Preining could only manage a twelfth place with his Porsche, while BMW drivers Marco Wittmann and Kelvin van der Linde finished in a disappointing seventeenth and eighteenth place respectively. Indeed, van der Linde joked about his performance upon turning 30, stating: “It seems you get slower at 30.”
This qualifying leaves uncertainty about how race strategies will influence vehicle performance, especially for those who struggled in the qualifying round. The race will undoubtedly offer an exciting competition that will be memorable for all DTM fans.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
